Beers Galore

New craft beer bar brings 100 brews on tap to the heart of Austin

Along with its crafty name, Growler USA brings 100 brews on tap to West Campus.

Photo courtesy of Growler USA

A big wall of brews is coming to West Campus when craft beer chain Growler USA opens its first Austin location this month. The fast-growing company has established locations in Oregon and North Carolina and plans to open 20 more pubs in 2016.

Craftily named Growler USA's main feature is a wall of 100 taps highlighting American craft beer. According to a release, the local pub will feature 60 Austin craft brews. Expect local faves like Live Oak Brewing Company, Austin Beerworks, Independence Brewing Company, Hops & Grain Brewing, Thirsty Planet Brewing Company, and more at the West Campus locale, which has taken over the former Vulcan Video space on 29th Street.

The remaining taps will feature microbrews from all across the country, plus cider, wine, kombucha, root beer, and cold brew coffee. On the food side, guests can choose from classics like salads, sandwiches, chicken wings, and more.

Growler USA hopes to be more than just a drinking destination. As the name implies, the bar also offers growlers, insulated and glass, for takeaway needs. The bar is also decked out with top-of-the-line technology so customers can stay informed about the rotating lineup. (Taps will send "instant notifications" to social media and a digital menu inside the pub.)

The brew pub debuts with a grand opening on Saturday, February 27. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 11 am to 11 pm, Friday and Saturday from 11 am to midnight, and Sunday from noon to 10 pm.

pour one out

Longtime Austin Tex-Mex staple Trudy's closes final location

Photo courtesy of KVUE

Trudy's Tex-Mex is closing its final location on Burnet Rd. after 40 years.

After serving up queso, Mexican martinis, and more for decades, Trudy's Tex-Mex is closing its final Austin location.

The restaurant group announced on Monday that it is saying goodbye to its North Star location on Burnet Road. Trudy's did not state an end of operations date for the location, and a KVUE phone call to clarify went unanswered.

"This spot has been so much more than a restaurant — it's been a place where memories were made, margaritas were shared, and the spirt of Austin came to life," Trudy's wrote on social media. "To our amazing team and loyal customers, thank you for making North Star so special."

North Star's closure is the latest blow for Trudy's, which first opened in Austin in 1977. The company was purchased out of bankruptcy in 2020 by equity firm Hargett Hunter. The acquisition included three Trudy's locations (a fourth closed in 2019, according to KVUE's partners at the Austin American-Statesman) and South Congress Café.

At the time, Hargett Hunter said it hoped to keep the brand alive and reinvest in Trudy's locations and teams, including the group's temporarily closed Texas Star location near the University of Texas campus. But after the acquisition, the Statesman reported that Hargett Hunter said property damage and other issues made reopening Texas Star unfeasible. The firm sold the West 30th Street property in 2022.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of Trudy's hard times.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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